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Kill Time Waiting for the New Season of Game of Thrones With These Alexa Easter Eggs

Photo-Illustration: SelectAll. Photos: HBO; Amazon

Game of Thrones returns this Sunday. People will probably die. It will probably be dramatic. Kit Harington will probably still be very good looking. While we wait to confirm all these crucial plot details — is it apparent I don’t really watch this show — Amazon’s AI, Alexa, has some hidden Easter-egg commands you can use to get hype. (What? You don’t own an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot? Here’s why you should buy one.)

As with all things Echo, to use the commands, wake your device by saying “Alexa,” and then instruct it accordingly. As in “Alexa … hold the door.” (This one first prompted my Echo Dot to tell me I don’t have any smart-home devices connected. The second time, with a little more overpronunciation from me, it chanted back, “Hodor, Hodor, Hodor.”)

Tell me the first lesson of sword fighting.

Do Lannisters always pay back their debts?

Come at me, Snow.

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

Does Jon Snow know anything?

I am the sword in the darkness.

What does a wise king know?

Hold the door.

All men must die.

You are in the great game now.

Can a man be brave if he is afraid?

What do we say to the God of death?

The night is dark and full of terrors.

Winter is coming.

Is Jon Snow dead?

Is winter coming?

Will you join the Night’s Watch?

I am the watcher on the walls.

What happens when you play the game of thrones?

This is irregular.

You’re going to die tomorrow, Lord Bolton.

Valar Morghulis.

What cuts deeper than swords?

What are the House Targaryen words?

What are the House Greyjoy words?

What are the House Stark words?

What are the House Bolton words?

What are the House Baratheon words?

What are the House Lannister words?

Of course, if Amazon does opt to start giving over user information to developers, you run the risk of people finding out you spent precious free time yelling at a robot in your apartment about a fantasy television show. All men must die sometime, I guess.

Kill Time With These Game of Thrones Alexa Easter Eggs